Wax and Wane
by MiravsStella
Summary: The second generation faces a threat unlike any Amestris has seen before.  Irene Mustang disovers that she can save everyone, or kill them.  Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.
1. Chapter 1

The flames leaped up, dancing beneath the moon and illuminating the gardens. Screams rose above the crackle of the inferno, crying out in anguish as flesh was burned. Trees were conspicuously avoided by the fire, as were most of the flowerbeds, except for a few unlucky ones where the masked guards had been hiding out. The smell of ash and cinders rose up along with a billowing cloud of smoke.

In front of all this destruction stood a single figure, their hand raised, their thumb and middle finger pressed against one another. Upon the thin white gloves they wore was a small red circle, intricate in design. The person also wore trousers, a white shirt, with a dark grey trench coat pulled over the entire entourage. The typical clothing of a male from Amestris.

Which was odd, considering the fact that the person wearing said clothing was clearly female.

Her jet black hair fell to her shoulders, spiking out an around wildly, like she couldn't get it under control. Her eyes were a rich, chocolate brown, and were currently narrowed as she tried to squint for signs of more enemies. The girl, after a few seconds of being poised and ready to snap her fingers, lowered her hand cautiously. She was five feet and three inches tall, though her black boots made her seem taller.

From her left, a curse was uttered, and another figure emerged from several singed bushes, covered in soot. She didn't flinch, turning to them with a smirk.

"Augh, Irene!" yelled the other, pointing a finger at her accusingly. "You knew I was here! Next time, get your aim right!"

Like a puffer fish, Irene seemed to expand, her face quickly reddening in anger. "My aim was perfect!" she shouted back, eyes flashing. "YOU were in the way!"

"Oh, don't give me that crap!" cried the boy, golden eyes wide with rage. "You had no idea what you were doing!"

The two continued yelling at each other at the top of their lungs, each one itching to place their hands around the other's throat. Two more people exited a cluster of small trees farther back, looking slightly embarrassed at the sight. One of them, a boy with light blond hair like the first, turned his onyx eyes in anxiety to the taller, teenage girl beside him. "You think we should stop them?"

The girl sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples in exasperation. She then chose to stride over, quickly grasping each of their shoulders. The effect was instantaneous; both Irene and the irate boy calmed quickly, looking guiltily at the interference.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said. "But we have somewhere to be, no? And we don't have much time; someone's bound to see Irene's smoke cloud. Elijah, we don't need your criticism right now," she added, catching the smirk Elijah was throwing at Irene.

"I didn't burn you, did I, Denna?" asked Irene, sounding concerned. "How's Rolo?"

"I'm fine," came the quiet reply, as the boy sidled up to them. His hair was cropped closely to his head, and he had his hands stuffed in his trouser pockets. Irene's eyes softened when she looked at him, and she went over to stand beside him, nudging him.

"Denna's right; we outta get going," she said to him.

"Then what are we waiting for?" muttered Elijah. Irene scowled at his attitude, noting how his yellow eyes still smoldered from their argument. His hair, which was nearly as light as Rolo's, was pulled back into a ponytail, and a distinctive red trench coat was around his black jacket and pants.

Denna laughed softly, her blue eyes sparkling in amusement at her brother's nonchalance. She was really the beauty of the group, with golden locks tumbling down in waves. She also possibly the only person present dressed with any femininity, wearing a light blue blouse and a long, plaid skirt that fell to her knees. Irene recalled being ever so jealous of her older friend, but she always told herself that she was two years younger than Denna; it was only nature's doing.

"Come on," she said, leading the way through the courtyard, towards the dark building across from their position. In the city of Yallu, in central Creta, it was known notoriously as the crypt. According to many of the locals, strange sightings of glowing figures had been occurring for the past few weeks. Irene wondered if her search was finally getting her somewhere.

Their silent trek was interrupted by a bout of coughing from Denna. She bent her knees, shakily holding herself up while the horrible hacking sound erupted from her. At once, Elijah was at her side, holding his sister up with concern clear on his features. Irene continued when Denna finished and smiled, but she thought that the smile was forced.

The entrance to the crypt was darkened; the moonlight cast dark shadows on the entrance hall. Grotesque statues lined each side of them, but had little effect on the four teenagers. They'd been to many similar places in the past few months. Irene felt a twinge of guilt, as she remembered that their parents believed that they were staying with Elicia Hughes in Central, but it couldn't be helped.

Of the four of them, the eldest was Denna, already at age seventeen. Her personality was bright, curious, and often quiet, with tidbits of wisdom that someone her age would not normally have been able to produce. Irene and Rolo were fifteen year old twins, though they weren't all that alike apart from their concern for each other as siblings. Irene could be anything from cheerful to volatile in the span of a millisecond, while Rolo stayed silent and uncertain, his confidence often wavering. And then there was the youngest, Elijah, who was only really about six months younger than Irene, and was at age fourteen.

Irene felt her mood become warier with each step they took into the crypt. The end of the entrance hall was composed of four arched doorways, each one with a passage that conspicuously sloped downward into the earth. She didn't particularly like going underground, especially after the stories her father had told her of the tunnels beneath Central.

"So, which way now, drama queen?" asked Elijah, smirking at her.

"I'm not a drama queen; if anything, you are." Dare she say it? As if he'd do anything to her if she did; his mother would go crazy, so she added it for spite. _"Shorty."_

For a moment, she thought that a volcano would erupt through the city.

"SHORT!" he screeched, puffing up so fast that she thought he was a balloon. "LIKE YOU'RE ONE TO TALK, MS. I CAN'T AIM RIGHT TO SAVE MY LIFE!"

Irene slugged him in the face.

Denna placed her hands on her hips, staring at her brother where he lay twitching on the ground, before casting an exasperated look in Irene's direction. Irene was practically glowing with happiness; she couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten to punch him.

"Just pick a tunnel, Irene," she said.

The black haired girl shrugged, walking over to the far right one and entering it. Rolo grabbed an unlit torch off the wall, gesturing towards it. Irene quickly snapped her fingers, and a small flame sprang up in the holder. Elijah followed behind the rest of them, rubbing his nose and moaning.

"Where do you think this goes?" asked Irene eventually, the break the eerie silence.

"Probably to a bunch of graves," muttered Elijah. "It's called 'the crypt', isn't it?"

Despite the temptation to come back with some smart retort, Irene refrained from doing so, choosing to ignore his smart comment. Rolo and Denna didn't say anything.

Then, the sign she'd been waiting for came: the corridor ahead flared a sickly green. The four of them froze, glancing at one another, and a silent agreement was made.

They began running.

Irene rounded the corner in time to see another one of the masked guards patrolling the hall. They appeared to be prepared for the intrusion, and she had a split second to duck as they raised their gun and fired. There was a flash, and spark of light, and a rock pillar came up from the floor, smashing the guard against the ceiling. Irene watched while his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Her savior happened to be Elijah, who had his hands pressed into the ground, brows furrowed in concentration. Though she was grateful that she hadn't been shot, it irritated her that the person who annoyed her the most had saved her.

"What, I don't get any gratitude?" he asked, frowning at her.

"Thanks," she spat. The next time she had to say it, she might have to kill herself instead. They continued along, Denna hurrying up beside her to have a quick word.

"I know you argue a lot, but he was really the only one who could've done anything. My Bioalchemy wouldn't work down here."

Irene just nodded stiffly, aware that she was right, but was still frustrated.

There was another bright flash, and she increased her speed, turning to a room where five men stood in a circle, chanting something under their breath. At once, the other three were upon them, with Elijah and Denna putting their martial art skills to use. The blue transmutation circles on Rolo's palm's glowed, before water appeared like a shimmering whip in the air, slapping the heads of another.

Irene was about to jump into the fray herself, when the unexpected happened.

The five strange men fought back, their skills just as good- perhaps even better- as their own. The one Rolo was combating ducked the next water slap and lashed out with a kick that swept her twin's legs out from under him, quickly grabbing his exposed wrist.

Irene was too preoccupied by the fact that there was a young boy in the center of the room, laying there, apparently unconscious. But it wasn't long before she turned to see her brother in the man's grasp, convulsing violently.

"Rolo!" she screamed, raising a hand. "Everyone get down!" she bellowed.

Snap.

Shrieks of pain erupted as the five men were consumed in flames, writhing and twisting, trying to escape. Her anger fueled the fire, and she kept them going up until the last one ceased twitching.

The room was silent.

Irene rushed over to her brother, falling to her knees beside him. He was lying on the ground, panting, and he raised his eyes to look at his sister.

"Saw that coming," he whispered, forcing a tired smile.

"Well, you know I wouldn't let him hurt you," she assured him. Her relief spread through her; at least her brother hadn't seen anything unusual when the man had grabbed him.

She and the others cried out when the green light flared again, and she shielded her face, squinting. The light was emitting from the boy, as he slowly stood. Glowing tattoos adorned his body, shining through his clothing of shorts, and white shirt, and a sweater vest over it. He was dressed like a schoolboy, she noted, and had probably been kidnapped by these men on his way home.

Then his eyes opened, and she sucked in her breath.

No irises or pupils were visible; all she could see was more of the green. Still, he appeared to be staring right at her, and a sinister smile crept onto his face.

The glow stopped as soon as it had begun; his eyes became a normal looking brown, and he stared in shock before they rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed.

The sound of a transmutation came from her left, and she saw Elijah approaching the boy warily, a stone sword now in his hand.

"What are you doing?" she cried, pulling him away from the child.

"We don't know what he is."

"Look and see, idiot," snarled Irene back. "He's a human boy, and he probably wants to go home to his mom!"

"Selim Bradley looked like an innocent boy too!" retorted Elijah sharply.

In the corner, Denna flinched.

Irene and Elijah swore at the same time, both whirling away from each other so that their trench coats flared out in the same fashion. She breathed in deeply, willing herself to calm down. She and Elijah couldn't afford to have one of their usual arguments, not with the life of child on the line.

"Okay, look," she said condescendingly. "If he wakes up and appears threatening, then you can guard him. Happy?"

He glared back at her for a few moments before he nodded.

"Excuse me?"

They all jumped, and turned their heads simultaneously to see the little one sitting up, hugging his knees to his chest and staring at them with a curious expression on his face.

"Sorry, but do you know where I am?"

It turned out to be Denna who explained everything to him, once they got out of the creepy place. She told him that they'd found him in the crypt, and that they were going to take him home. He stared at the four of them wide-eyed, before he asked the question.

"You guys are alchemists?"

Irene nodded, Denna smiled and said yes, Rolo avoided his gaze, and Elijah grunted.

"Cool!" exclaimed the boy. He grinned at them all, before his smile and excitement faltered.

"What's your name?" asked Denna gently.

"I don't know."

That made them all stare. The boy had amnesia, did he? Suddenly Irene felt as though maybe Elijah had been right earlier- not that she'd ever admit it.

"I don't know anything," he continued. "Not since the monsters came."

They all exchanged glances, their gazes clearing saying, _Monsters?_

"They were laughing at me, and it was cold," he said, fear beginning to creep into his eyes now. "And I couldn't see them, it was all dark…"

Irene felt herself shiver involuntary, and was reminded of how foreboding the boy's expression had been earlier, when it was twisted into an evil smile. His eyes had been boring straight into hers, and she couldn't shake the feeling that even now, she was being watched.

"Should we bring him back with us to Patron Guilford's castle?" asked Denna.

"I don't see how we'll have a choice," replied Irene. The Patron had told them that he'd want to know how the excursion had went, and he'd want to meet the straggler they'd picked up. The trip back to the castle took awhile. They hadn't been able to take a car, since Patron Guilford said that they couldn't be associated with him. The boy was apparently so weakened that he couldn't even move that much, so the task of carrying him was given to Elijah, who grumbled about it along the way. Denna had named the boy Otter for now, which had nearly sent Irene into snickers.

"Patron Guilford will see you right away, Lady Mustang," one of the guards said, bowing to her. She noticed that these guards were not the same guards that had occupied the crypt, as these ones didn't have masks over their faces. She felt herself go slightly red at the title he'd given her. For a 'lady', she certainly wasn't dressed the part.

"I prefer Major Mustang…" she muttered to no one in particular. Elijah coughed, something that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

They followed him through the wide open halls, which were decorated lavishly- something that starkly contrasted with the plain, uniform buildings she was used to in Amestris. Creta had been a far off destination, and the trip hadn't even been worth it- their lead was useless again.

Patron Guilford was seated on a throne in an even more extravagant hall than the previous ones. Elegant statues of the gods and goddesses of Creta were on either side. Irene didn't know much about Cretan religion, but she did know that it was central to their lives. The crypt itself was apparently a remnant of the old religion, which had been abolished long ago because of its dark beliefs.

The man himself was short and plump, but of good humor for the most part. He beamed at them as they entered, green eyes twinkling brightly.

"Welcome back, Lady Mustang," he said loudly. His eyes quickly landed on the boy Elijah was carrying before they travelled back to her. "And also, of course, Lord Mustang," he nodded at Rolo, "And Denna and Elijah Elric. I trust your excursion was successful? That is your missing person?"

He nodded at Otter, who Elijah had gently set down on the floor.

"No, it isn't," she said firmly, bringing Guilford's attention back to her. "Deep in the crypt, we found this boy being experimented on by several unknown men. He appeared to be glowing in the same way that was described by several of your citizens. We don't know what it meant, but I'd advise you to take precautions. There could be a conspiracy against you."

He frowned. "I sincerely doubt that, but I assume you speak from experience. After the mess that happened in your country, with Fuhrer Bradley…" he sighed. "Dreadful, just dreadful. I can understand where you're coming from, but it's probably just Cretan extremists."

"Then you won't mind if we take this boy back to Central City in Amestris with us," said Irene, raising an eyebrow. She thought she saw him wince. "His memory has been erased," she continued. "Since we found him, it's our duty to care for him. As you know, Denna is a Bioalchemist; with her tools that she has in our home country, she could certainly help to cure him of this ailment."

Guilford nodded slowly, although Irene saw little signs here and there- a slight twitch of his foot, the way his hands gripped the arms of his chair- that showed her that he wasn't nearly as confident as he seemed. Otter was staring at him hopefully, giving the Patron a puppy dog face that reminded Irene of when Black Hayate was asking her mother for more food.

"Thank you, Patron Guilford," she said. "We'll probably catch the train back to West City soon. We are grateful that you allowed us to stay here."

"Oh, no, no!" he gasped. "The pleasure was all mine. You are welcome to return at any time…" he paused for a moment, cocking his head. Irene wondered what he was going to add.

"Ember Alchemist," he finally decided on.

She sagged in relief. Her codename was a lot better than, 'Lady Mustang'. Irene fixed up her trench coat again, before turning around again.

"We're going home."

* * *

Rolo watched in silence as the rest of the party caught up on some much needed rest. He felt the rhythmic bumps as the train rumbled over the countryside. Fields and small bunches of trees rushed by, along with the occasional farm animal.

Irene and Elijah were both snoring, the noise itself an abomination. Rolo felt a smile form thinking about how the two would argue over who had the loudest snore, and which was more annoying. His sister couldn't seem to hold her temper around Elijah, and Elijah… well, he couldn't hold his temper at all.

They always joked that Elijah had inherited his parents' anger genes- Uncle Ed's fury over being called short coupled with Aunt Winry's wrench-throwing habits. Irene, on the other hand, had their mother's scary annoyance and her father's pride. Combined, Irene was probably more capable of violence when provoked than any of them.

Which, of course, was why she excelled at Flame Alchemy.

His twin sister was a state alchemist- she'd become one almost immediately after perfecting her Flame Alchemy. Elijah was as well, through sheer determination and intelligence, much like his father. He didn't really have a specialty, unlike the rest of them, and though it wasn't visible through his sleeves, his arms were covered in transmutation circles, each one meant for a different scenario.

Denna had always been a Bioalchemist at heart, and had such passion for it that she refused to even attempt the test for state alchemists. Rolo himself had decided to try and be a paradox to his twin, and as such chose to study Water Alchemy. Much like Denna, he'd also declined to become a state alchemist.

There was just one problem- neither his father, nor his mother, nor Uncle Ed or Aunt Winry were aware that two of them were state alchemists. They had changed their names in the test, and mostly avoided seeing Fuhrer Mustang whenever Elijah and Irene had to report to Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. Elysia had done a lot for them, Rolo realized.

His eyes settled lastly on Otter, who was asleep like the others. Curiosity at the boy was gnawing at him; if the boy didn't have memories, would he have a future?

Reaching out, he touched the boy's hand.

_Masked figures pursued Otter and Denna, and Denna whirled to block a gunshot from one of them…_

_ Otter stared at Selim Bradley a kind of horror. _

_ All five of them were atop the roof of the military headquarters in Central, watching dark clouds build up in the distance…_

_ Otter was whimpering, with Denna's arms around him, whispering to himself. _

_ "I can't see…"_

Rolo, unable to take it anymore, ripped his hand away, nearly cursing under his breath.

"Rolo?"

Irene blinked at him sleepily, concern in her expression. "Are you alright? What did you see?"

He didn't have the breath to answer, but sent her a pleading look. She blinked but nodded.

"Okay, I'll ask later…" And she was out again.

Rolo lay on his side, deciding he should follow suit. Still, Otter's agonized whispers haunted him.

* * *

Author's note: Well, I've been wanting to write this for quite a while. I know I didn't mention Rolo and Irene's mother by name, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Just a few questions to think about:

What do you think is wrong with Otter?

How did Irene learn Flame Alchemy, and why?

What did Rolo do?

What was Guilford hiding?

Why does Selim Bradley come up a lot?

Next chapter will be the childhood of those four. Hope you enjoyed this! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

After the knock on the door, it opened to reveal two wide, sapphire eyes. Those eyes belonged to a small, three year old girl, who quickly flung the door wide so that it crashed into the wall and beamed.

"Denna?" came the voice of an adult male, before a man with blond hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a red shirt with the top few buttons undone stepped in the doorway alongside his daughter. His expression turned into that of a smirk as he saw the two visitors.

"Well, if it isn't Colonel Bastard," he said loudly. Roy Mustang would've crossed his arms and scowled, but they were full with one sleeping baby girl; her twin brother was currently being held by Riza, who thought that Edward really shouldn't say that sort of thing in front of his daughter.

As though he read her thoughts, Ed grinned at them. "Don't worry, Denna's smarter than that."

The blond girl, who already had several thick curls on her head, nodded vigorously. "Mommy always says not to say anything Daddy says," she said quietly. "She says that a lot of what Daddy says isn't very nice, and that she's gonna throw her wrench at him for it."

There was a short pause, before Riza was embarrassed by her husband bursting out laughing, and Edward scowling darkly. She nudged Roy, making sure he didn't go completely crazy on them, and he quickly regained his composure. Mrs. Mustang nearly groaned when she saw that Irene's brown eyes- her eyes- were wide open. There would be hell to pay soon.

"Come on in," said Ed, smiling again and ruffling his daughter's hair. Denna giggled a bit, before staring up at the twins curiously. She pointed up at Riza's bundle.

"Rolo," she said happily, before pointing over at the now wide awake baby in Roy's arms. "Irene."

Roy laughed, and Riza couldn't blame him; it was hard not to fond of the Elric's daughter. "That's right," he said. She clapped her hands for joy.

Riza and Roy were led to the living room, where a practically glowing Winry Elric sat, her belly swollen greatly. She smiled tiredly as the two of them entered the room, before her eyes lit up at the sight of the two bundles they were carrying.

"Are those the twins?" she exclaimed. She held out her arms in a silent question, and Riza rolled her eyes were Roy appeared only too happy to hand his daughter to her. Irene sniffled a bit, before giggling to herself. Denna pulled herself onto the couch next to Winry, staring at the baby.

"Irene's pretty!" she proclaimed. They all smiled at the statement, and Riza found herself nodding in agreement. She thought that both her son and daughter were beautiful. Something stirred, and she looked down to see Rolo yawn, his black eyes (just like his father's) now open and staring at her. He soon began wriggling.

She set him gently on the floor, noting how he quickly crawled over to Winry's feet and tugging on her slippers. Irene squealed, as though she sensed her twin's presence, and Winry put her down next to her brother. Irene then tackled Rolo, giggling madly, and Denna hopped down next to them.

Riza watched fondly while Denna separated the two, and then they sat there, Irene and Rolo merely laying about while Denna crawled around, looking restless.

Riza's eyes travelled over to Winry in concern when the younger woman suddenly winced, pressing her hand over her belly. Edward noticed as well.

"Did he kick you again?"

Winry nodded.

"You know it's a boy?" asked Roy, surprised, his black eyebrows shooting upward again.

"We're certain," replied Winry.

"I wouldn't be, if I were you," commented Riza, feeling all eyes turn on her. "After I found out I was having twins, I thought that it had to be the boy twin who kept kicking me. Once I gave birth, and spent about a week with them..." she shrugged. "It had to be Irene; she has temper tantrums almost every day, but Rolo's as quiet as can be."

The four of them glanced over at the three children, with Irene now chattering incomprehensively, and Denna sucking her thumb. Rolo didn't appear to be doing anything at all.

"I don't know; I just get the feeling that it's a boy."

"Any names picked out?" asked Roy. He put his arm around Riza, and she suppressed a smile.

They'd been married for several years now, soon after he'd replaced her grandfather as Fuhrer and the fraternization law had been cancelled. Her one living family member had greatly approved of her marriage to him, and Roy's Aunt Chris had only said, 'It's about time'.

Still, Riza had had her doubts. She knew that she was in love with Roy ever since they met up again in Ishval, but she'd shoved aside those feelings to focus on the task at hand. She'd become so adept at doing so that she almost forgot about them entirely, while he was climbing the ladder of the military after the fall of the homunculi. She had thought that their respective duties would prevent them from ever pursuing a relationship.

Then, out of the blue, he'd asked her on a date.

She remembered choking on her morning cup of coffee when he said those words, old feelings that had lain dormant suddenly perking up. Somehow the two of them made it work, and he'd proposed to her after they'd gone to the ceremony for Ed and Winry's wedding.

There had been controversy in the media over Roy Mustang's choice to marry another member of the military, but they chose to defy society's expectations for them. Years passed, and just a few months ago, Riza had given birth to their twin children.

She couldn't be happier.

"Well, we did pick out a girl's name just in case," said Winry. "Ellen Izumi Elric. But if I'm right, and it's a boy, his name will be Elijah Alex Elric."

Roy winced. "Don't tell me."

"Oh yes," said Winry, scowling and punching her husband in the arm. Edward grinned sheepishly. "This idiot made a bet with Colonel Armstrong and lost. So we had to name our second child after him, if it was a boy. We wanted it to be Maes, or Van, but you guys used Maes as Rolo's middle name, and Al's claimed that Van is going to be his son's name. I don't really feel like arguing with him or Mei, so I just went with it."

"How are those two, anyway?" asked Riza. "I thought they'd be here, too."

Edward laughed out loud. "Nah, staying in Resembool wasn't good enough for them. But then, they don't have kids yet. Nope, they're touring Aerugo right now, seeing the sights. They're planning on visiting Xing after that, so don't expect to see them for awhile."

Riza looked down in time to see Roy's old coat (the same one he'd worn when they penetrated the underground area in Central) moving across the floor by itself. Her husband followed her gaze and chuckled. Getting up, he gently tried to pick it up.

Irene's fists were bunching up the fabric, and she scowled up at her father. He raised an eyebrow and gently tried to pull it out of the fabric, but she clung to it like a bug. Winry giggled at the sight, and Riza hid a smirk. Roy finally gave up, slouching back to the couch next to her.

Irene's eyes lit up, and she gurgled in triumph, quickly wrapping it around her shoulders and actually sticking her tongue at her father. Ed laughed.

"Your daughter's smart as well, Mustang," he snickered. Roy just grumbled.

Winry gasped suddenly, drawing all eyes in the room to her. Edward's humor evaporated instantly, and he grabbed her arm. Denna quickly stumbled over to her mother, concern in her huge blue eyes. Before Ed could even say anything, she asked, "Mommy? Are you okay?"

"The baby's coming."

Silence.

"AAAAGGHH!" screamed Edward, nearly falling off the couch. Riza noticed something warm fall on her shoulder, and realized that Roy had fainted.

At the same time, both her and Winry muttered, "This is exactly what happened last time."

Riza reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a gun, and pressed it to Roy's neck. He shot up as though he'd been electrocuted. "Roy, go get some towels. Ed, we need hot water, fast."

"Yes ma'am," they both said, scurrying away.

"We don't have time to get a doctor," said Riza gently, now helping Winry up. "You told me that the nearest one was ages away, right?"

Wincing, Winry nodded. Riza was about to lead her to the bedroom, but she felt a sharp tug on her pants.

"Auntie Riza?" asked Denna, eyes wide. "Can I help?"

Riza's expression softened. "If your mother doesn't mind, you can come an keep her company for now. Who knows, you might even get to meet your brother."

Denna's face broke out into such a radiant, hopeful expression.

"How can I say no?" Winry whispered.

After several hours of Winry crying out, Riza giving harsh instructions to the men in the house, and preventing Irene from wailing too much, Winry sat up in bed, exhausted, holding a healthy baby boy wrapped in blankets. "I knew it was Elijah," said the blond, grinning down at her son.

Denna clambered up on the bed, staring in utter fascination at the tiny infant. She cocked her head to one side in curiosity, then pointed, and said, "Elijah?"

Winry nodded at her daughter, smiling tiredly.

Denna's manner changed very abruptly. She folded her arms and glared at all of them, as though daring them to move closer. "Mommy and Elijah need to be sleepy!" she proclaimed.

"It's alright, Denna," said Winry softly. "Ed, why don't you get her to bed; she's had a busy night."

While Ed went off with his daughter, Riza wondered how she was going to get to the task of getting her own children to bed. Rolo was already curled up, fast asleep, but Irene was stubbornly refusing Roy's attempts to settle her down on the couch. She still had a hold on his trench coat.

"Maybe Irene wants to see Elijah; it's no problem," suggested Winry.

So Riza brought the female twin over to the bed. Irene stared at the newborn blankly for a few moments, before her chubby hand reached out- and poked his head.

Elijah erupted in upset screams, and a distraught Winry did her best to quiet him, while Irene burst into loud laughter, her brown eyes sparkling with amusement. Elijah's hand shot out, grabbing her arm and pinching her, turning her giggles into shrieks of unhappiness.

Both Riza and Winry were appalled, and decided it was best to keep the two separate for now.

* * *

Denna watched in half-curiosity while her brother was chased by her friend.

"I want the book!" yelled seven year old Irene, furiously swiping for it. Elijah snatched it away, his golden eyes narrowing.

"It's my book!" he shot back.

"You've had it for three hours!"

"So?"

"So it's my turn!"

She made another grab; when this failed, Irene tackled him, bringing them both down onto the floor of the study. Denna glanced over to where Rolo had his own eyes fixed on another book, focusing on the basics of alchemy. Irene had lost interest in the volume she'd been reading, and was now determined to take a look at Elijah's alchemy book, which had been a gift from their father for his birthday.

Denna herself was immersed in a book on biology. By now she was nine years old, and already setting forth on a 'humanitarian project'- or, as her brother dubbed it, a 'bugtarian project'.

Ever since she could remember, she loved learning about life- whether it be plants, animals, or insects. She'd been horrified when her father had found a spider in the house, and had been about to smash it. She'd snatched it away before he could do anything to it, and run off. Now she'd begun to build safe houses for the insects- usually just cardboard boxes- and hidden them there whenever she found one, and then deposited outside later.

Irene finally managed to wrestle the book from Elijah's grasp, sprinting away while he gave chase. She managed to skim the table of contents, and Denna sighed when her brother received his book back.

In his face.

"What the"- he glared at her. "I thought you wanted to read it."

Irene skulked over to the corner, before sitting down and crossing her arms. "It's worthless," she muttered. "There's nothing about Flame Alchemy in there."

"It is _not_ worthless!" shouted Elijah, hugging it to his chest and scowling. "And why do you care about Flame Alchemy, anyway? It's not like you'll be able to master it!"

"Just like you'll never be able to master getting taller," sneered Irene.

"That's it!" screamed Elijah, grabbing a piece of chalk from his pocket. Denna raised an eyebrow when he scribbled a circle on the floor before placing his hands on it. There was a flash of blue lightning, and small, wooden skull twisted up from the floorboards.

He cast her a triumphant look. "I'd like to see you do _that!_"

Irene turned bright red with fury; she clenched her fists, stood up, and stormed out of the study. Denna sighed; despite clearly being upset, she knew that Irene wouldn't cry.

It was like Irene couldn't let tears fall; she screamed, she wailed, she yelled, but the actual liquid never trickled down her face. Denna snapped her book shut, before tucking it under and arm and following. Soft footsteps and grumbling told her that Rolo and Elijah were following her.

As she'd suspected, Irene headed for the grounds. The enormous mansion where Rolo and Irene's parents, Fuhrer Roy Mustang and First Lady Riza Mustang (also known as General Mustang) was complete with the gardens of a child's dream. Denna knew that it was a favorite for Elijah, Rolo, and Irene to practice their alchemy. The three of them had already mastered the basics for the most part; only Denna was lacking. She was too busy researching life to deal with it.

Irene was furiously digging stick into the ground, drawing her own transmutation circle. She pressed her hands onto it, and the lightning flashed- only this time it was red. Denna's eyes widened; was it possible that she would actually achieve it?

Nope.

The transmutation blew up in Irene's face, throwing her backward and leaving the grass around the circle singed. Denna shot her brother a look before he could comment.

Irene would probably beat him to a pulp if he did.

* * *

Rolo was quiet for many reasons. One of them being that he was just that way, and another being that he didn't want to draw attention to himself.

That usually meant making skin contact with someone at some point.

His parents assumed that he just had a severe case of aphephobia, but he, Irene, Denna, and Elijah all knew the truth.

From the time of his birth, he could see the future of people who touched him.

It wasn't anything big- just little glimpses of what would happen. The first time he remembered it happening was when he was around two: Irene grabbed his hand, and he'd seen her trip on her way out the front door. Two hours later, that was exactly what had happened.

His twin had been the first to find out, and Denna and Elijah discovered it later.

Currently, his family was sitting on a train. Several military personnel were put in charge of guarding them, as an assassin could easily attack his father. His mother had explained that they were going to Ishval, where a large war had occurred, in order to see how the rebuilding was progressing. Irene was currently snoring, with their father having to cover his mouth to hold in his mirth.

Tonelessly, his mother asked, "Sir, is that really appropriate for someone of your station?"

Rolo smiled a bit. It wouldn't be long before his mother pulled the gun on him, something she usually tried to avoid in the presence of her children. He tuned out the following argument (his mom always won), and looked out over the desert, which rushed by in the form of a never-ending sea of sand. Having grown up mainly by travelling between Central and Resembool, he couldn't imagine living out there.

_There's barely any water, either…_ the thought made him uncomfortable. He glanced at his wrist, where he knew that a transmutation circle was hidden beneath the sleeve. His sister was still having difficulties getting her aim right with Flame Alchemy, but he himself was finding no difficulty in learning the ins and outs of Water Alchemy.

Keeping their practice hidden from their parents was a chore in and of itself, but they'd found surprising support from Elysia Hughes, who had recently enlisted in the military. Her mother, Gracia, had been dismayed at this, but had ultimately accepted her daughter's decision to follow in her father's footsteps. Elysia, who lived by herself in an apartment, often enjoyed the company of the two of them, or (whenever the Elrics came to visit) the four of them. She knew about their alchemy, and was planning on helping them become state alchemists if they decided on taking that road.

Irene and Elijah were already leaning toward that way; Denna, having just begun to study alchemy, was determined to avoid such a path. She was focusing on Bioalchemy- specifically cures for illnesses, and was so far excelling in that area.

"Fuhrer King Mustang, sir," said Colonel Ross. "We've arrived."

The city was full of foreign architecture; the buildings were built of white stone, and rose majestically around him. Tanned, red-eyed people wandered about, with the odd Amestrian here and there. Rolo noticed that they received several cheers, but also several boos of disapproval. While they were praised for the rebuilding of Ishval, none had forgotten the deeds both his parents committed during the war.

Irene was suddenly at his side. "Let's slip away for a bit," she hissed. Rolo wondered if she was crazy, but he saw the fiery determination in her eyes. He decided that it was best not to argue.

They crept away from their parents when their backs were to them, trying to blend in with the crowd as best they could. To them, danger didn't exist; they were children intent on exploring the city, no matter what punishment they'd receive later. Rolo followed Irene down another crowded side street.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Dunno," she responded. "The market, I think. I'm just following my nose."

Rolo seriously doubted that her nose was leading them to the market, but something did smell incredibly good.

The city's streets twisted around in a complex pattern, and the two of them soon found themselves in a narrow alleyway, where sunlight was just barely able to stream through. Rolo was about to suggest that they find their way back to a more populous area, when something slammed into the side of his head.

"HA!"

A raucous voice was the source of the shout, and he just barely managed to lift his head to see Irene in a defensive position (courtesy of both Aunt Mei's and Izumi's martial arts training), parrying attacks from a white haired figure. Irene's face was contorted in concentration, but she couldn't seem to find an opening.

At last, though, their attacker faltered, and Irene got in a well-placed kick on their side. Both fell away, panting.

"Wow!" exclaimed the kid who attacked them. "That was great! You're an amazing fighter. And I thought I was unstoppable."

Irene slowly lowered her fists. "No one's unstoppable," she muttered, shooting a glare at their assailant. "And would you please apologize to my brother?"

The boy turned and laughed loudly. "Heh, sorry about that!" he said, his loud voice nearly making Rolo wince. "But I have to practice sometime. I'm gonna be the greatest warrior priest in the history of Ishval!"

Rolo looked the boy up and down. He had the usual Ishvalan looks- white hair, red eyes, tan skin, and was thin and tough-looking. His clothes were ragged and gray, with a colorful sash that looked as though it had been hastily thrown over the rest of it. He had several scars on his arms.

Before Rolo could stop him, the boy had grabbed his hand to pull him upright. Irene shouted, "No!"

He braced himself…

And nothing happened.

He stared down in shock at the hand holding his, while the boy cocked his head to the side, looking between the two of them. "Umm… did I do something wrong?"

"No, no." Quickly, Rolo took his hand away; he could barely comprehend what he'd seen.

Why had no vision come to him when he grasped this person's hand? He should've at least seen something; but there had been nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was different with Ishvalans.

"ANYWAY!" Rolo wanted to cover his ears at the shout. The boy pointed to himself, grinning. "I'm Namiko, the greatest person ever! What about you underlings?"

"Irene Mustang," said Irene, holding her hand out and raising an eyebrow while smirking, as though she was saying, 'Top that'. Rolo groaned to himself; he didn't want his sister flaunting her pride at that moment.

Namiko didn't react negatively, as they'd expected. Instead, he just laughed again. "AHA! The great me stumbles upon an amazing find. The Fuhrer's own children are lost. Fear not, my friends!" he shouted. "I will lead you to safety!"

"Are you a girl?" asked Rolo flatly. Bluntness was something that both he and his twin had inherited.

She- now he knew it was a she- froze.

"How?" she cried dramatically, making a shocked pose. "How in the name of Ishval did you find out?"

"Your voice is a little high," said Rolo. "Your face looks like a girl's and then there's…" Uncomfortably, he gestured towards his chest area.

Her face became even darker with red, and she shuffled her feet, for a second looking like normal, bashful girl. Then that façade was gone.

"Well, never mind!" she cried. "As a prize for discovering my true identity, my true name is Tamika! Your twin proved herself earlier, as she's an excellent fighter. Would you like me to escort you to where your parents usually stay?" She bowed. "It would be an honor."

Irene flashed him a look, and he knew what she was thinking: _Is this girl for real?_

He shrugged. _Might as well go with it._

Their punishment ended up being confined to their rooms for the remainder of the trip. But it was worth; they gained a new friend.

Someone whose future Rolo couldn't, for once, sense.

* * *

Author's note: That's the end of this chapter. The next one will be back in the present, and then the one after that will be more childhood memories. Hope you enjoyed, and please review!


	3. Chapter 3

"Dammit!" shouted Elijah.

"Shut up, idiot, we've got a little kid with us!" yelled Irene, kicking him in the shin and further adding to his pain. Elijah groaned, wondering how he'd gotten into this situation in the first place.

They'd arrived in West City after the long train ride, and stepped off the platform. On the way down said platform, Elijah had tripped over something and crashed to the ground. Hence, the bad language and being kicked in the shin by Irene. Angrily, he turned to looked behind him at what had caused him to fall in the first place.

It was just a box. He was about to blast it with his alchemy, but Denna picked it up before he could do so.

"It says it's addressed to J. Havoc…" her voice trailed off. "Hey, we know them, don't we?"

"How could we forget?" growled Elijah. His first meeting with the Havocs hadn't exactly gone the way he would have liked. Irene smirked at him; she knew it, too.

He was never going to get the chance to live it down.

"Well, we might as well return it to them," said Denna. "I didn't know that they lived in West City, though. I thought they'd be housed in Central, considering how much Irene and Rolo see them there."

"I think Havoc didn't want to deal with my dad's ego," commented Irene.

"How do you know it wasn't your ego?" Elijah asked her.

She whirled on him, a wicked gleam appearing in her eyes. "Would you like me to remind you of the donut incident?"

Elijah cringed.

Otter's curious eyes travelled back and forth as the discussion passed. Elijah noticed that the kid seemed relatively normal, but there had been something not right about the way he was before. Not just the glowing, but also the fact that he knew some things that a person with no memory shouldn't know.

For example, how did he know that he couldn't remember anything whenever the 'monsters' came?

Elijah shook himself, standing up and brushing off his red coat. He remembered when he'd stolen it from his dad's closet, and had been ecstatic to find that it fit him perfectly. Irene had said that it was because Edward Elric used to be as short as his son; he'd retaliated by stating that her father's coat barely fit her at all.

It was true. Now that he looked her up and down, he clearly saw that the sleeves were still too bulky, and he couldn't fathom how she never tripped in the thing. It was a miracle that she could fight at all.

Denna tossed the package to Irene, who caught it deftly. "Denna's right; we should give it back," she said aloud. Elijah moaned loudly, causing the black haired girl to shoot him a look. He really wished that they could just get right on the next train to Central.

He hated obligations.

The streets of West City were quiet, unlike the hustle and bustle of Central or even Yallu, where they'd come from. Every so often they passed by a few people walking down the street, but no one spoke. It was like the town lived in fear of something; no one seemed capable of having the courage to speak to someone.

"What's going on here?" he murmured to himself. Beside him, Otter grabbed his hand.

"Mr. Elric," he whispered. Elijah, feeling slightly annoyed, looked down to meet his dark eyes. "I'm scared."

"Yeah, well," he grunted, not sure how to respond.

Irene had had enough. She waited until another passerby tried to hurry past and grabbed hold of their jacket sleeve. It was a panicked looking man, who stared at her fearfully.

"What's up with this place?" she asked.

His eyes widened, and he tried to tug away; she responded by kneeing the man in the groin. Elijah had to admit- Irene had guts.

"Just answer the question, and we can all be on our way," she said coldly. Her brown eyes blazed, and the man blanched.

"There've been… killings, lately," he responded slowly, voice barely above a whisper. "But no one even knows how it's been happening… the bodies are there, they're clearly dead, but there isn't a scratch on them. No stabbing, poisoning, nothing."

Irene let the man go, and shooed him away. She turned to her companions, and raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

"I say we get this to Havoc and leave," growled Elijah. He was all for letting the military figure it out; there was no point in staying when it was none of their business. After all, they had their own problems to worry about.

Irene seemed to read his thoughts. "We're state alchemists, dummy," she snapped. "Denna and Rolo can go on ahead with Otter, but we should stay here and offer our assistance however we can. We'll have to call the Lieutenant Colonel first, of course, and let her know we'll be late."

"I never said I agreed with you!" yelled Elijah, letting go of Otter's hand.

"I think Irene's right," said Denna calmly. "I really do need to get back to Central; I forgot my medicine."

Elijah felt himself freeze, as shock poured through him. Slowly, he turned to stare at his sister, who didn't look at all apologetic. "You… what?" he whispered, feeling his blood boil.

"I forgot to bring my medicine," said Denna, enunciating each word slowly.

Elijah forced himself to take a deep breath, knowing that he could never forgive himself if he went crazy on his sister. In all his life, Denna had been careful to look after the rest of them, to try and minimize the amount of trouble they got in, and to make sure that she carried the most burdens. However, he wasn't about to let her do that alone.

"Fine," he muttered angrily, whirling to avoid the eyes of all of them.

They eventually managed to find the apartment they were looking for, in what was possibly the most run down part of the city. Thankfully, Irene was the one who knocked on the door; Elijah did not want to be seen first.

There was a crash from inside, followed by a yell, and Jean Havoc poked his head out the door. His face quickly transformed into a grin.

"Hey!" he cried, ruffling Irene's hair and making her scowl. "If it isn't the little mini Mustangs, and the mini Elrics." He turned to stare at Elijah. "Haven't seen you since the"-

"Don't," hissed Elijah, "Say. A. Word."

"Er… right," said Havoc dubiously, both his eyebrows shooting up. He sucked in a breath and let out a puff of cigarette smoke, before turning back to Irene. "What can I do for you?"

"Package for you, sir," she said mockingly, holding out the box. He took it, frowning slightly, before his eyes lit up.

"We found it by the train tracks," offered Denna.

"Mail service must've messed up again…" muttered Havoc. "That, or it's…"

"Huh?" asked Irene. Elijah narrowed his eyes.

For the first time since their arrival, Rolo spoke up. "Lieutenant Havoc, sir, Irene and Elijah are both planning on investigating whatever's been happening in West City. Any details you have on the situation would be appreciated. Denna and I are going back to Central, with Otter."

"Otter?" Havoc noticed the smaller boy standing behind Denna, peeping out at him. Elijah would feel a lot better when the kid left with Denna and Rolo left with him. He chuckled and shook his head. "You're like your Uncle Al, always picking up stray cats."

"I'll explain about Otter later, sir," stated Irene. "For now, we'll focus on what's more important."

"Rolo, Otter, and I will head back to the train station," said Denna, smiling. "See you two later."

Once the three had left, Havoc turned back to Irene and Elijah. "Guess you might as well come in, then," he murmured.

Elijah was not overly impressed with the place- there was a mess everywhere, as it was filled with papers and several leftover beer bottles that suggested that Havoc and his wife enjoyed a drink quite often. It smelled musty, and dust seemed to be gathering in the corners. Someone was singing raucously in the other room, and after a few moments a brunette crashed into the room.

"Oh, hey, long time no see!" yelled Rebecca, grinning at them. "Sorry about the mess, this place's only temporary for the time being. This idiot's not exactly what you'd call a neat-freak."

"Don't worry about it," said Elijah. "I'm sure Irene's right at home."

"Says the one who almost ate his own poop!"

"Dammit Irene, you said you wouldn't bring that up again!" he screeched, whirling around to glare at her. Their noses were mere inches from each other. His hand itched to punch her.

She got there first, and pain exploded in his stomach. He landed on his face (for the second time that day), and she turned back to the Havocs.

"So what's all this about a mysterious murderer, who makes it look like he hasn't even done anything to his victims?"

"Unfortunately, that's all we know," said Havoc, quickly sobering up. He stared at the two of them, and it struck Elijah just how exhausted the man looked. There were bags beneath his eyes, and his shoulders were hunched, like he'd been sitting at a desk for a while. "Whoever this guy is, he's been terrorizing the city for the past few weeks. Your father himself is considering coming here."

Irene blanched, and Elijah resisted the temptation to place a hand on her shoulder for support.

"When?" she asked quietly.

Havoc sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Well, right now his advisors are busy protesting against it, but you know Roy Mustang- after all, you seem to have inherited his stubbornness."

"Gee, thanks," muttered Irene under her breath, and Elijah sniggered. There were so many comments on how Irene was 'so much like her father', and she complained numerous times that she just wanted to be known as herself.

Which was why so few in the military just knew her as 'Ember', since it was her codename. Most didn't even know that she used Flame Alchemy; they thought she was a normal alchemist, just like him, with exceptional talent.

He knew that without Elysia's help, her father would've already discovered that she was in the military.

"Your old man still doesn't know yet?" asked Rebecca, lounging against the side of the couch. "You know he'll find out one day, right?"

"I'm aware, Aunt Becca. I'm aware."

* * *

Denna only half-knew that Rolo was patting her lightly on the back; the rest of her was focusing on not regurgitating from coughing as hard as she was. So this was her punishment for forgetting her medicine yet again- one of these days, she was going to break a rib.

At last the fit subsided, and she straightened up again, glancing around her. People were everywhere, which was a good sign; it meant that whatever was going on in West City, it hadn't progressed to Central. She could see the command building in the distance, enormous and imposing as ever. The difference was that it was now a symbol of pride and hope, rather than the fear it used to embody.

Lieutenant Colonel Hughes' apartment was only a few blocks from the military, and as such was quite a distance from the train station. Otter was yawning again, indicating that it wouldn't be long before he felt the need to take yet another nap. Hopefully, Elysia wouldn't mind if the kid stayed with her for awhile; goodness knew that they couldn't afford to bring him with them wherever they went.

News people ran every which way, shouting out headlines from the past few days. Among the top news was Xing Emperor Ling Yao's impending visit to Central, in order to meet with Fuhrer Mustang and the democratic leaders on the possibility of building a railroad between the two countries. Denna had to admit that she was curious about what he was like; her father often complained about his tendencies to eat too much, but she'd really rather find out for herself.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her shoulder.

"Excuse me?" came a male voice. She blinked in surprise at the brown haired newcomer, who smiled at her.

"Can I help you?" she asked, ever polite.

"Are you Denna Elric?"

"That's me."

"Oh, excellent!" he beamed. "My name's Jeremiah Coultard, I'm a doctor. I was wondering if I could ask you for your assistance with something?"

Denna thought about it; most likely, the man just wanted to know how she'd come up with her countermeasure for bacterial infections, and she wasn't about to tell him if he just wanted it for money.

"Sorry," she said quickly, "But my friends and I have somewhere to be. If you gave me your address, perhaps I could come by some other time."

However, the man didn't really seem intent on letting her shoulder go. "It won't take too much of your time."

Denna felt herself become slightly irritated. She really hated it when people pretended to be kind and honest, when in reality they only wanted something for themselves. She tried to tug her arm away, and the man's face was quickly darkened by a scowl.

"I really would let her go."

The other voice was dark, cold, and sent shivers down Denna's spine, but she couldn't have been more grateful for the help it brought. The doctor stepped away from her like she'd burned him, and turned to gaze fearfully on the newcomer. He took a step back, before turning and practically fleeing down the street.

She looked back at Rolo and Otter, only to see Otter grab her hand and hide behind her, peering out at her savior. A teenager her own age, he had black hair and black eyes, which seemed to have no end to their depths.

Rolo also seemed on edge; he stared at the other boy warily and took a few paces forward to stand beside Denna and Otter. Denna, on the other hand, let go of Otter's hand and walked straight toward him.

"Thanks for that," she said, offering a small smile.

The black aura that seemed to emit from the other faded a bit, and he gave the barest of smiles back. "You're too polite to tell someone to buzz off when they're harassing you."

"Yeah, you've made your point, Selim," she replied, rolling her eyes a bit. "It's probably better, though; if Irene or my brother were here, they'd most likely just assault him, and then our parents would kill us for sure this time."

"Right," he said, the smile disappearing as quickly as it had come. He straightened, walking away quickly. "I'll see you later."

She waved, before turning back to Rolo and Otter.

"Was that…?"

"Yeah."

* * *

Irene surveyed the site, noting that nothing was out of ordinary. All the shops on the street were closed up tight, the night lamps were on, and nothing was damaged.

The only thing wrong was the utterly dead body on the sidewalk.

Beside her, Elijah seethed with pure anger at the sight. It was only a teenage girl, maybe a little older than Denna, but her eyes were wide with shock, and unseeing. Her limbs were splayed at an odd angle, like she'd fallen on her side, and all her muscles were tensed. Carefully, Irene knelt down and pressed her hand against her cheek, feeling how ice cold the girl's skin was.

She thought she felt a little sick; she didn't know how the investigations unit managed to stare at the dead bodies without feeling a bit queasy. Now she thought she knew what her father had felt when investigating the murders Scar had committed. Irene remembered when her mother had told her about the first time Uncle Ed had encountered such a murder.

_"You don't need to see this,"_ she had said.

Well, apparently, her mother had been wrong. Irene very much needed to see this devastation, this murder, or else she could never fully grasp the urgency of stopping someone like this.

"Lieutenant Havoc, what were the sightings on this guy again?" she asked, turning around to where her 'uncle' was.

"Well there were none, until today," he muttered. "Apparently, some random, normal looking dude just walks up to her, grabs her hand, she falls to the ground, dead, and he walks away again." He sighed, running his hand through his hair again. "You don't think it has something to do with alchemy, does it?"

"Not that I know of," she replied, frowning slightly. "The Law of Equivalent Exchange doesn't usually allow for that sort of thing."

"Unless Truth had something to do with it," mused Elijah. Irene looked at him sharply.

"You really think Truth would be so cruel as to allow this sort of injustice?" she demanded.

"I dunno, do I?" replied Elijah, shrugging. "He took my dad's arm and leg, after all. Not to mention Uncle Al's entire body."

"I still doubt it," muttered Irene.

She and Elijah soon left the scene, allowing Havoc and his men to take care of the cleanup and further investigations. Havoc was insisting that the two leave soon, lest the military lose two of their best state alchemists.

Translation: Get your butts back to Central so that I don't have to explain to your parents why you're suddenly dead.

Irene, seeing his reasoning, had relented after a few moments of heavy arguing. Elijah had taken a little longer to convince, until she'd had to tell him that he was just a miniscule flea compared to what this guy could do. She figured that the only thing stopping him from killing her right there and then was the fact that the military was present.

As well as the fact that she'd just snap her fingers and burn him to a crisp.

They were now walking together in silence, back to the hotel where they'd rented a room. Irene had been specific enough in stating that they wanted a room with two beds, and yet they'd still ended up arguing over who would have the bed closer to the window. In the end, she actually lost that one, after he threatened to burn the bed and force one of them to sleep on the floor, or force them to share it.

The sheer horror of the thought made her accept.

Irene now played with her pocket watch, glad for its reassuring weight. She was always careful to hide it most of the time, but now was one time when she could actually have it out in the open.

Elijah was the first to break the silence.

"This isn't like what we thought it would be, is it?" he asked softly. Irene blinked; he actually sounded serious.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just…" he trailed off for a moment. "From all the stories our parents used to tell us, all this military stuff sounded like a great adventure, you know? It was exciting, and we couldn't wait to get in on it. Remember that time we swore that we'd become state alchemists, just like our fathers?"

Irene stared at him- he was being unusually nostalgic. "Yeah, I remember," she said, grinning a bit. "It was one of the few things we could agree on."

He laughed. "That, and the fact that God doesn't exist."

"Don't say that in front of Tamika."

"Who's Tamika?"

"A friend."

They strode down the deserted street in silence once again. Irene mused about their conversation; it was one of the rare moments when she and Elijah had some sort of kinship between them. Though she would never admit it aloud, she actually quite enjoyed it.

Suddenly, he grabbed her hand. _Okay, I don't feel _that _close to you!_ She thought frantically.

"Don't make any sudden moves," he hissed in her ear, "But we're being followed."

She didn't react at all, except to slow her breathing and listen carefully. Sure enough, after a few moments of concentration, she could make out footsteps behind them. They were quickly accelerating.

Their eyes met at the same instant, and together, they whirled.

The man jumped a bit in surprise; clearly he was unused to his victims fighting back. He avoiding a left hook from Elijah and reached out to grabbed his arm, but Elijah spun away, placing his hands on the ground. Blue light flashed, and spikes shot upward. The man dodged quickly, before his eyes settled on Irene. Moving faster than she could comprehend, he was in front of her, and grabbed her wrist.

"NO!" screamed Elijah, slamming his hands into the ground again, but Irene knew it was too late. Surprisingly, though, the man froze when he got a good look at her, giving Elijah's stone pillar enough time to slam into him.

"Can't…" the man coughed, looking at her. "Orders…"

Irene was confused, but she didn't have time to dwell. The man turned, his expression turning greedy when he spotted Elijah. Delighted, he shouted, "But I can take yours!"

Irene decided that it was time to end this. She snapped.

The man's maniacal laugh quickly changed to a scream as the flames exploded around him, rising up and consuming him with such force. Irene would normally have stopped by now, and left him for dead, but something drove her to keep attacking the man. He dared to try and kill Elijah; she wasn't about to allow that. She snapped her fingers, again and again, thoroughly enjoying seeing him writhe in pain.

"Irene!" It was only Elijah's yell that made her stop, and look at him. She took in the concern on his face, as well as another emotion she couldn't quite identify.

"He's dead," he said. "You don't have to keep going; he's dead."

Oh.

Right.

She suddenly felt exhausted, drained, and stared at her target. There was barely anything left but a pile of ash, and Irene suddenly felt ready to vomit. Behind her, she heard yells indicating that the military had seen what happened, and soon Havoc was running over.

"What happened? Is he dead?" he asked, panting.

She nodded, and walked away. Elijah quickly followed her.

Irene could hardly believe what she'd just done. It wasn't as though she'd never used her Flame Alchemy to kill before, but she hadn't really felt any remorse in doing so. Now though, she'd done more. She'd actually liked the way the man had screamed, she liked the way he had clearly been tortured by agony.

She hated the fact that there'd been fear in Elijah's eyes.

* * *

"Well, I certainly hope that those two are alright," sighed Elysia Hughes, sipping her cup of tea. "And I'd be happy to let Otter stay here; he's so cute, too!"

Denna sighed in relief, glad that the Lieutenant Colonel had agreed.

"One more thing," said Elysia, now frowning. "I have some bad news as well. As you know, most in the military only know Irene as the Ember Alchemist. Her abilities aren't well known, her real name isn't really known at all. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to stop the rumors circulating through- rumors about her age, but more importantly what she can do."

Denna gulped. She had a bad feeling that she knew where this was going.

"Those rumors have reached Fuhrer Mustang. He wants to meet her."

_Crap._

_

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Author's note: Woo, that was intense! Really though, I have to think up more stuff. Next chapter will be more childhood stuff, including how Irene mastered Flame Alchemy and why Denna needs medicine, as well as Denna's relationship with Selim Bradley. Thanks to all who've read this, and please review! I'd love some feedback on how I'm doing, since this is my first FMA fic.


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